Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, the PowerShares WilderHill Progressive Energy Portfolio (NYSE: PUW) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at PowerShares WilderHill Progressive Energy and see what CAPS investors are saying about the ETF right now.

PowerShares WilderHill Progressive Energy facts

Inception October 2006
Total Assets $46.4 million
Investment Approach Seeks investment results that correspond to the WilderHill Progressive Energy Index, which is comprised of U.S.-listed companies significantly involved in transitional energy bridge technologies, with an emphasis on improving the use of fossil fuels.
Expense Ratio 0.60%
1-Year / 3-Year / 5-Year Return (12.3%) / 20.6% / (1.9%)
Top Holdings with High CAPS Rating (4 or 5 Stars) and Portfolio Weight Siemens (NYSE: SI) (2.4%)
Eaton (NYSE: ETN) (2.4%)
Emerson Electric (NYSE: EMR) (2.3%)
Dividend Yield 1.5%
Alternatives PowerShares Cleantech (NYSE: PZD)
PowerShares Global Clean Energy (NYSE: PBD)


Sources: Morningstar and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 94% of the 71 members who have rated PowerShares WilderHill Progressive Energy believe the ETF will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include Allstar13913, who is ranked in the top 0.5% of our community, and sillydook.

Having gotten on board a couple of years ago , Allstar13913 noted that the ETF "invests in bridge technologies." Our CAPS All-Star continues: "Unlike [ETFs] which invest in alternative energy, PUW invests in processes that can make current energy more efficient and useful."

In fact, PowerShares WilderHill Progressive Energy sports a portfolio whose stocks average historical earnings growth of 37% annually. That's higher than that of more conventional clean energy ETFs like PowerShares Cleantech (15%) and PowerShares Global Clean Energy (11%).

CAPS member sillydook elaborates on the bull case:

This ETF includes companies which should perform strongly as we transition from a world that runs on petroleum to a world that runs on alternative energy sources. The particular emphasis is on companies that extend or improve fossil fuels, although it includes other "bridge" technologies as well. ... On the whole, I prefer this ETF to Powershares PBW because I think the holdings here are stronger than PBW's holdings. I would recommend a long-term buy and hold on PUW.

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